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March 2013

Join us this weekend as we retrace our past with three movies that take a look at historical figures and events that have helped changed the world. We start with one of the most well remembered hoaxes to ever see baseball, a Chinese artist who risks his life to fight for his country and the efforts of thousands of South Africans struggling for equality.

Recognized as one of the greatest depictions of the Black Sox scandal, Eight Men Out gives a first-hand look at the drama that unfolded during this event. Director John Sayles portrays the Chicago White Sox owner, Charlie Comiskey as a tough individual with no intent on rewarding his players for their outstanding season. After being offered the opportunity to make some money through gambling, eight members of the team are enticed by this scheme and make the decision to throw the World Series by deliberately playing bad. Rumors of a hoaxed series begin to spread and the eight players soon end up in court facing conspiracy charges.

Known as one of China’s most famous contemporary artists, Ai WeiWei is most recognized for his artistic expression, political activism and his ability to communicate through social media. Ai is also known for his artistic involvement in the development of the Beijing National Stadium which hosted the 2008 Olympics. In a country built on a strict legal system, criticizing the Chinese government can be like dancing with death. Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry gives viewers an inside look at the dedication and efforts of Ai as he does what most would never dream of doing, express their opinions about the Chinese government. This independent documentary from American filmmaker, Allison Klayman, follows China’s most impressionable figures as he gains attention for his aspiring artwork and dedicated attempts to expose, in his belief, the true government of China.

Tune in this Saturday at 11:30pm for Independent Lens: Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry.

For almost three decades, African Americans fought to end the pain and injustice that was caused by the racist system of Apartheid. This policy of segregation and discrimination ignited a flame that brought black leaders and the African American people together in hopes of putting a stop to the regime. In order to bring down the horrible system that plagued South Africa, African Americans would have to go to battle with one it’s most powerful allies, the United States of America. Developing campaigns, organizing civil rights movements and going against the opposition of President Ronald Reagan were some of the desperate measures that had to be taken in the fight for equality. Can the non-violent activists ultimately succeed in their efforts and for the first time in history, shift the United States foreign policy?

Tune in Sunday at 1:00am for Independent Lens: Have You Heard from Johannesburg: From Selma to Soweto

Often, the music from your favorite film can be just as memorable as the visuals. Take your ears on a trip through Hollywood this Friday, as Chuck Redd plays tunes from popular movies like ANATOMY OF A MURDER, THE WIZARD OF OZ, and Woody Allen's recent MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. Redd’s jazz renditions on the vibraphone will be enough to see Dorothy’s ruby red slippers, even without them projected on a screen.

Venture into a landscape of disappearing dreams, distorted visions, and jumbled memories! This Friday and Saturday at George Mason’s Center for the Arts, indulge in Les 7 Doigts de la Main’s acrobatic and theatrical experience, PSY. This prominent Canadian troupe’s most recent creation juxtaposes dark issues, from insomnia to amnesia, with circus arts like the German wheel, teeterboard, and aerial rope. PSY portrays the beauty and commonality of neuroses while celebrating the endurance of the individual to prevail against ailments and self-imposed limitations. Don’t miss out on this “mind-bending journey into the human ego”!

Friday, 8pm

Saturday, 2pm & 8pm

Cost: $24-$48; youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult

Before the rise of the Digital Age, billboards, storefronts, murals and even street signs were all painted by hand. But this art has not been completely lost. With many business owners seeking an ‘old school’ look, renewed interest in traditional sign painting has recently revived the craft.

Filmmakers Faye Levine and Sam Macon captured the stories of over two dozen sign painters in their new film, fittingly titled SIGN PAINTERS. Levine and Macon traveled from coast to coast and created the first anecdotal history of sign painting. Join Levine and Macon for the film’s world premiere, followed by a Q&A session and a signing of the companion book.

This Sunday marks the season 2 U.S. premiere of the popular British drama Call the Midwife. Return to the Nonnatus House as all your favorite characters, and a few new ones, balance romance, friendship, and medicine in East End London during the 1950s.

In episode 1, it’s Nurse Jenny Lee’s birthday celebration at the Nonnatus House but as soon as the party comes to an end, she is assigned a new patient, the pregnant Molly Brignall. The well-being of Molly and her child is compromised putting Jenny in a difficult spot. Trixie and Sister Evangelina care for a Captain’s pregnant daughter but how will the two do aboard a ship?

Prepare to be swept back to early 20th Century England with Mr. Selfridge, the newest Masterpiece series based on real-life events. Follow the story of Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American businessman from Chicago, played by Jeremy Piven (Entourage). Selfridge moves to London and opens the department store chain Selfridges at the end of Oxford Street with £400,000 of his own money. Selfridge’s foreign principles and modern retail techniques create quite a stir in London society and the drama commences.

Harry Selfridge was a showman and his flashy, alluring window displays match the plot of this new show, which explores relationships, social change, and style. As the Selfridges climb the social ladder in London, they encounter many extraordinary characters on their way to the top. Follow not only the parties and glamorous gowns of high society, but also follow the stories of the working class Selfridges employees.

Monday at 8:00pm Christopher Foyle begins a new case inFoyle’s War: A Lesson in Murder. It’s June 1940 and a reliable objector dies in a holding cell after being beaten up by police. A young boy evacuated from London dies in an explosion. Strange ties to Judge Gascoigne in these deaths lead police to believe there will be a revenge attack on the Judge. Who’s to blame? It may not be as straight forward as you think! More air dates.

Tuesday at 11:30pm begin season 9 of the British classic Allo, Allo. Be sure to tune into this final season of Allo, Allo, a sitcom set in a small town café in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

Wednesday at 8:00pm watch Inspector Morse tackle the mystery of Cherubim and Seraphim. Morse's step-niece, Marilyn Garrett, commits suicide and he takes leave to research her past. His investigation leads him into an alien world of teenage hedonism, raves and expensive drugs. Will Morse find closure in investigating her history or add salt to his wounds? More air dates.

Thursday at 10:00pm test your crime-solving skills with Waking the Dead: Straw Dog. Grace is asked to give evidence at a hearing from a case she worked on in the beginning of her career. This haunts Grace but will she overcome her distress and help the case? More air dates.

Friday at 8:00pm tune in for the WETA UK premiere of Ladies of Letters. This British comedy series starring Patricia Routledge and Prunella Scales surrounds the relationship between two elderly ladies who share a sometimes rocky relationship through letters and e-mail. More air dates.

Saturday 8:00pm – 11:00pm join us for the special airing of She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens. In this three part series, historian Dr. Helen Castor explores the lives of seven English queens who challenged male power, the fierce reactions they provoked and whether the term 'she-wolves' was deserved. Also airs Sunday March 31 12:00pm – 3:00pm.

Sunday at 8:00pm kick off season 2 ofYes,Prime Minister! Prime Minister Jim Hacker is still guided by his Machiavellian mentor, Sir Humphrey Appleby. When Jim decides to implement a new plan to reduce unemployment in the North, Sir Humphrey decides that desperate cases call for desperate measures. Meanwhile, if the Prime Minister gives false information to Parliament, should the Cabinet Secretary support him, or should he tell all? As Sir Humphrey ponders the ethics, he finds that he too has something to hide. More air dates.

Monday March 25, join WETA Kids for the premiere of Sid the Science Kid: The Movie! Sid and his friend Gabriela go on an adventure in The Super Ultimate Science Museum. After winning a science fair contest for creating an awesome science experiment, Sid and Gabriela are named “Junior Investigators” and get a special viewing of the new museum before it opens to the public.

Once there, they meet quirky scientist Dr. Bonabodon who has designed robot tour guides of the future, including Bobbybot, his greatest creation. When Sid and Gabriela are introduced to Yangyang and Niuniu, the impressive big-kid “Future Scientist” contest winners from China, they start to wonder if they really know their science stuff. Together the four pals observe giant honey bees, investigate robots, and even encounter a giant singing Tyrannosaurus Rex. But after their robot tour guide short circuits, Sid, Gabriela, Yangyang, and Niuniu have to work together and use science to try to save the day.

Together, they learn that you can be a scientist at any age and that thinking like a kid is sometimes the best way to solve a problem!

Spring has sprung in Washington and that means one thing for locals and tourists alike; lots of pink. Thousands flock into the city each year to see the blooming trees during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but don’t let the fluffy flowers obscure your view of the rest of the cultural events happening around DC. We’ve compiled a list of the top Cherry Blossom Festival happenings around town, so be sure to check out some art and performances along with this year’s dose of pink.

Every Monday, the Programmer’s Choice gives you highlights from this week’s WETA UK schedule. These highlights include new shows, new seasons, special episodes, and refreshers on WETA UK favorites. Read on to see what WETA UK shows are featured this week March 18 – March 24!

Monday at 7:30pm begin season 2 of the hearty series Fresh Fields. Hester and William Fields are bored empty nesters. William is an accountant and Hester does random things around town including taking care of her elderly mother and gossiping with her neighbor Sonia. Stars: Julia McKenzie (Miss Marple, Return to Cranford), Anton Rodgers (May to December). Also airs throughout the week.

Wednesday at 11:00pm continue the action and humor of Hustle. Master con-man Mickey Bricks and his team of talented con artists have a very important rule: never con an honest man. So instead, they have lots of greedy enemies lined up for some of their boldest cons yet. Tough decisions and plenty of fun as the team goes head to head with some of the meanest, greediest people society has to offer. Stars: Adrian Lester, Robert Glenister (Prime Suspect), Robert Vaughn, Matt Di Angelo (EastEnders), and Kelly Adams.

Thursday at 8:00pm rekindle your love of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. This week, Holmes and Watson take on The Norwood Builder, when a notorious retiree is found murdered, his recently-named heir is the prime suspect. Also airs: Saturday at 2:00pm. Then at 9:30pm Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings investigates the mystery Double Sin in Agatha Christie’s Poirot. A woman is robbed while delivering a set of antique Napoleon miniatures to an American collector. Poirot and Hastings set out to find the thief. Also airs: Saturday at 4:00pm.

Friday at 8:00pm get your warm-hearted laughs withThe Café. Three generations of a family host customers at their seafront cafe in this warm and funny comedy series. Sarah moves back home from London, having lost her boyfriend and her job, so she's helping her mum Carol at the café. But returning home has its pluses and minuses. Also airs: Tuesday at 5:30pm.

Saturday at 9:30pm experience Masterpiece Contemporary: Framed. Based on the bestselling book by Frank Cottrell Boyce, when London's National Gallery accidentally floods, treasured paintings must be transferred to an abandoned slate mine in the Welsh countryside for safety. Curator Quentin Lester is secretly pleased to have the art all to himself but while away, he encounters a lineup of quirky neighbors causing Lester great concern. Stars: Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead) and Eve Myles (Little Dorrit). Also airs: Sunday at 1:30pm.

Sunday at 5:00pm kick off season 2 of Born and Bred! In season 1, Tom Gilder moved his wife Deborah and four children from the busy city of Manchester to rural Ormston to take on the responsibility of his father’s practice. Despite a few old versus new clashes, Tom quickly settled in and together they got the go-ahead to make the cottage hospital a success. In season two, get ready for a whole new set of problems for the father-and-son practice. Delve further into the lives of the villagers, including some highly amusing incidents. Stars: James Bolam, Michael French (EastEnders), and Clive Swift (Keeping up Appearances). Also airs throughout the week.

What to do in this wonderful spring weather?! This weekend in DC, Maryland, and Virginia check out a jazzy birthday bash, a Japanese drum performance, a major environmental film festival, and more! Here's the details on our featured weekend events!

If you could celebrate your birthday anyway you wanted, how would you celebrate it? For Grammy Award-winning drummer Jack DeJohnette, celebrating with class and style is always on the agenda. DeJohnette is most widely recognized for joining Miles Davis’s band and helping to change the face of jazz with their album, Bitches Brew. He is also known for his association with artists such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Herbie Hancock. In celebration of his 70th birthday, DeJohnette wants to do nothing more than jazz things up at the Terrace Theatre. Currently on an international tour with pianist Geogre Colligan, saxophonist Tim Ries and bassist Jerome Harris, the NEA Jazz Master will play a little music with his friends, ranging from cool jazz rhythms to bittersweet memories.

And beats with energy that will make you want to see them again! This Saturday, join Kodo, a traditional Japanese drum troupe, as they take over the DAR Constitution Hall. Kodo uses ancient and modern compositions to achieve physical and musical versatility that surpasses language barriers. Kodo is known for its performers not only playing the drums, but also using their bodies to tell a story. Experience how the power of sound can create emotions ranging from laughter to aggression to even fear. This show will be an unforgettable experience for all of your senses!

Spring is finally in the air! If you don’t see enough green outside, catch it on the big screen. Celebrate the outdoors with the first weekend of the Environmental Film Festival in the nation’s capital, running March 12 through 24 at museums, embassies, universities, libraries and local theaters. The theme of this year’s festival is the role of rivers and watersheds in the global environment. 190 documentary, narrative, animated, archival, experimental and children’s films were selected to highlight this and many other ecological issues. The festival will feature 110 Washington, D.C. area premieres, including this weekend’s Amazon Gold, on Friday at the National Geographic Society, Cinderella Moon, on Saturday and Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, and More Than Honey on Sunday at AFI Silver Theater. Discover the wonders of the world and the perils that endanger them this weekend through next.

India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) becomes infatuated with her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Good) when he comes to live with her and her unstable mother (Nicole Stoker) following the death of her father. This film directed by Chan-wook Park is largely drama with plenty of mystery and thriller in the mix as India learns more and more about her disturbed family.

Can you believe we still have new shows to share with you? As your go-to for British television in the Washington, DC area, we hope to deliver a wide variety of programming on WETA UK and that means trying new programs while also keeping your beloveds running. This week on WETA UK, you’ll be thrilled by our newest British detective Inspector George Gently, while we continue to share WETA UK favorites like DCI Banks. Adding to the excitement, new seasons begin for comedies Keeping Up Appearances,Outnumbered, and Blackadder. Read on for more information about these and other shows that we want to highlight in this week’s WETA UK schedule!

Monday at 10:00pm don’t miss the WETA UKInspector George Gently premiere! Inspector George Gently is an incorruptible, uncompromising cop transplanted from London’s Scotland Yard to England’s North Country in the mid-1960s. Gently’s reputation for honesty and relentlessness makes him almost as feared among his colleagues as he is among criminals. But he finds an odd ally in John Bacchus, an overeager, opinionated young sergeant who plays fast and loose with police procedures. Together the two tackle cases involving murderers, drug dealers, gun runners, and more. Gently is about to discover a whole new world of murder and intrigue in 1960s Britain, a place where everything is about to change, but the past is always present.

Wednesday at 8:00pm Inspector Morse begins to investigate a new mystery in Absolute Conviction, Part 1. Morse and Lewis investigate the affairs of three people in prison for fraud but when one of them is murdered, they are surprised by what they find. Once someone attempts to kill one of the two surviving fraudsters, the clock seems to speed up and the crime-solving duo must take actions fast.

Thursday at 7:30pm begin the roaring comedyKeeping Up Appearances from the very first episode. Hyacinth goes to incredible lengths in her quest for refinement. She insists that her name Bucket is pronounced bouquet. Her house is spick-and-span with everything in its proper place. Even the empty milk bottles sparkle on the doorstep after their obligatory rinse in the dishwasher. There is one very enormous drawback to Hyacinth’s pretensions. The rest of her family is as common as muck. They live together in a rundown house that looks like a junkyard. Sister Daisy and her husband Onslow are out-and-out slobs and her elderly father is a lecherous drunk. Whatever Hyacinth does, her family can always be guaranteed to show her up.

Friday at 9:30pm begin Outnumbered season 3, episode 1, a comedy series which captures the chaos of an ordinary British in a very unique way. The lives of Pete, Sue, and their three children are locked in an unequal battle. Using aspects of improvisation, this show sees the world as much from the children's point of view as that of the adults'.

Saturday at 8:00pm WETA UK Event: DCI Banks continues with Strange Affair and Dry Bones That Dream. In Strange Affair, DCI Alan Banks receives a disturbing message from his brother Roy and Banks drops everything to find him, just as new recruit DI Helen Morton finds evidence linking Banks to the body of a murder victim. In Dry Bones That Dream, DCI Alan Banks and DI Helen Morton must learn to reconcile their conflicting policing styles and personalities while trying to unravel the increasingly puzzling murder of a local accountant who has been leading a secret double life.

Sunday at 9:00pm kick off the fourth season of the classic comedyBlackadder entitled, Blackadder Goes Forth. A world-weary Captain Blackadder, veteran of numerous campaigns, suddenly finds himself in the trenches facing four million German machine guns. He is not a happy man. He’d be slightly happier if General Melchett's battle plans were less suicidal and if Private Baldrick's cooking wasn't confined to rat.

The WETA Kids Block Party showcases every episode of all your favorite shows from the week, back-to-back in a special block on Saturdays and Sundays. If you’re up late on Saturday, watch every WordGirl episode from the previous week from 10:30pm – 1:00am or DVR it for Sunday morning!

But coming next week, we have something extra special for WordGirl fans: March-Enemy Week! Everyone’s favorite vocabulary-slinging super hero squares off against a cavalcade of evil-doers in WordGirl: March-Enemy Week! From March 11-15, WETA KIDS has five brand-new WordGirl episodes including the two-part Dinner or Consequences. The title of this week’s theme is a play on “arch enemy”. This means every episode is action-packed with an encounter between WordGirl and some of her most nefarious foes: Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy, Birthday Girl, Tobey, The Butcher, Granny Mae, The Energy Monster, and, of course, Dr. Two Brains.

Also airs: Tuesday March 12 at 9:30am, Wednesday March 20 at 4:30pm, Thursday March 21 at 9:30am

Plain Old Mischief Makers: When best friends Big Left Hand Guy and InvisiBill risk losing their super villain status, they decide to pull off their biggest heist to date. Can WordGirl stop this determined duo who always manage to escape her at the last minute? Vocabulary Words: Diminish, Declare.

House Arrest: While Chuck's jail cell is being painted, he's put under house arrest at the Botsford's. Becky is stuck spending more time waiting on Chuck rather than fighting the other villains. Vocabulary Words: Release, Rowdy.

Also airs: Wednesday March 13 at 9:30am, Friday March 22 at 4:30pm, Monday March 25 at 9:30am

Monkey Business: After a battle, WordGirl accidentally leaves Captain Huggy Face behind (again). So he spends the day doing all of his favorite things. When an overzealous Chuck strikes, it's up to Captain Huggy Face to single-handedly save the day. Vocabulary Words: Recall, Zeal.

Also airs: Thursday March 14 at 3:30am, Tuesday March 26 at 4:30pm, Wednesday March 27 at 9:30am

Day at the Museum: Scoops takes Becky, Bob, and Violet to the museum to find inspiration for his news story for The Big City Times. When they hear a rumor about a haunted treasure, the team goes on a search - with The Butcher right behind! Can Scoops, Becky, Bob, and Violet find the treasure, evade The Butcher, and do it all in time for Scoops to keep his deadline? Vocabulary Words: Rumor, Deadline.

Best Fan Club Meeting Ever: TJ plans a meeting to divulge a secret about WordGirl to International WordGirl Fan Club members. However, when Tobey finds out that a secret about his love/nemesis will be revealed, he crashes the meeting with an eavesdropping robot and threatens to destroy the clubhouse. WordGirl has to spring into action to save the clubhouse and her fans! Vocabulary Words: Divulge, Eavesdrop.

Premieres: Thursday March 14 at 4:30pm, Friday March 15 at 9:30am, Friday March 29 at 4:30pm

Who’s Your Granny?: Granny May decides to become more notorious by committing bigger crimes involving crazy contraptions. Meanwhile, Becky is frustrated that she does not appear in any yearbook photos since she always has to escape to fight crime as WordGirl. Will Becky/WordGirl ever be able to get her photo in the yearbook and find time to interact with the new, hi-tech Granny May? Vocabulary Words: Interact, Contraption.

Win a Day with WordGirl: The Big City Times announces a writing contest prize: win a day with WordGirl. A chance at a full-day encounter with everyone's favorite superhero causes Tobey, Scoops, and TJ to go to extremes to win - ending in a robot-filled squabble at the library. Vocabulary Words: Encounter, Squabble.

Part 1: Dr. Two Brains is stealing all the city's milk and using it-with help from the unusually talkative Energy Monster-to superpower his new ray and turn the whole city into cheese! It's up to WordGirl to find the disappearing dairy and stop Dr. Two Brains... even if it means missing her family feast and having to face the consequences. Vocabulary Words: Feast, Consequences.

Part 2: Becky has to rely on an old Botsford tradition - the family trial - to convince her family that she vanished from the feast for a good reason. But when the Energy Monster breaks Dr. Two Brains out of jail and the two head over to the Botsfords to take back a powerful invention, will Becky be able to prove her innocence and transform into WordGirl in time to stop two super villains? Vocabulary Words: Vanish, Rely.

The mini-series I, Claudius, is based on a novel written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. The classic story of the physically weak being intellectually underestimated was immensely popular when it first aired in 1977 and is still loved almost 35 years later.

This Sunday, travel back in time to Rome through the eyes of Claudius and become a historical investigator of deadly plots and scandal in one of the greatest Empires of all time. When Emperor Caligula abuses his power as ruler of Rome, Claudius is named the new leader. A stuttering and sickly man, he immediately encounters challenges and power struggles. Does Claudius shy away from his new position or does he become the Emperor Rome needs? Follow the span of Claudius’ life and the history of the Roman Empire with this enthralling marathon of the award-winning series I, Claudius this Sunday.

Watch the I, Claudius Marathon over two weekends beginningthis Sunday, March 10th from 10:00am to 6:00pm concluding Sunday, March 17th from 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Looking for something to do this weekend in DC, Maryland, and Virginia? Check out our selection of free dancing lessons, silent film fun, and more in your own backyard!

Dancing in Bethesda

Put on those dancing shoes because this weekend is Dance Bethesda! The two-day event starts Friday night with free dance lessons and parties, hosted by studios in downtown Bethesda. Try your foot at rumba, social dancing, ballroom, hip-hop, tap, folklore, salsa, swing, tango, and jazz or watch demonstrations throughout the night. Then on Saturday, a group of seven dance companies will perform at Round House Theatre for the 9th annual Dance Bethesda Concert. (They’ve been being selected from a group of 50 local contestants.) With a variety of dance genres, like contemporary from the Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, Central Asian from the Silk Road Dance Company and ballet from The Washington School of Ballet, this event will provide a well-rounded selection of the most talented dancers in the Washington, D.C. area.

This Saturday, indulge your senses with lavish costumes and drama with the Freer Gallery’s presentation of “Intolerance: Silent Film with Live Musical Accompaniment.” Intolerance, one of the masterpieces of the Silent Era, looks at Man’s persistent “intolerance” throughout the ages and connects stories from four very different time periods: the American “modern” melodrama of 1914, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, the fall of Babylon at the hands of the Persians in 539 BCE, and the death of Jesus Christ. This film program is presented in conjunction with the Sackler Gallery’s exhibition of the Cyrus Cylinder, which will be featured in an upcoming segment of WETA Around Town!

If you could go back in time, what period would you travel to? Would you go back in time to the Medieval Age or to the days at Woodstock? What about the Civil War Era? Well, if you said the Civil War, you are in luck. As a tie-in with “The Civil War and American Art” exhibition, the Smithsonian American Art Museum will be hosting Civil War Family Day. Kids and families will have the opportunity to learn about the men, women and children of the mid-1800s by participating in an afternoon full of Civil War related activities, such as craft making, photography, music, scavenger hunts and more. So join them this Saturday for a fun-filled day in the past at the Kogod Courtyard.

Australian director Cate Shortland’s second feature is a WWII thriller that tracks the 900 km journey of five siblings (including Saskia Rosendahl, Kai Malina, Nele Trebs, and Ursina Lardi) as they make their way to their grandmother’s house near Hamburg, Germany after Allied Forces arrest their Nazi parents.

This post-WWII drama by British director Peter Webber (GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and HANNIBAL RISING) traces an American general’s (Tommy Lee Jones) investigation of Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s (Takatarô Kataoka) role in the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

This week we introduce a brand new detective series to the WETA UK schedule! You’re invited to the Monday night premiere of Scott and Bailey! We continue many of our best British shows and begin new seasons of our favorites. Read on for more highlights this week and click here to watch video trailers of these shows!

Monday at 9:00pm join us for the WETA UK premiere ofScott and Bailey. This show is a thrilling investigative drama exploring the personal and professional lives of two female detectives, DC Janet Scott and DC Rachel Bailey both of whom are members of the Major Incident Team of the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police. Rachel and Janet are close friends with different personalities: Rachel is impulsive and free-thinking, whereas Janet is subtle and wise. Each episode sees Rachel and Janet face a serious crime that is both challenging and emotionally difficult as well as cope with their own complex personal lives. Scott & Bailey is an honest, powerful and funny crime drama series. Also airs Tuesday at 3:00pm.

Tuesday at 9:00pm Rumpole of the Baileycontinues with episode 2: Rumpole & the Alternative Society. Rumpole is in west England defending Kathy Trelawney, a woman charged with selling marijuana to a federal agent. Rumpole tries to connect with an old friend from his time in the Royal Air Force, Sam 'Three Fingers' Dogherty. Also airs Wednesday at 4:00pm.

Wednesday at 6:00pm begin season 5 ofBallyKissAngel. Paul Dooley, a shady figure from Brian Quigley's shady past, returns to the village with a business arrangement that brings him into direct conflict with his old rival. Despite the best efforts of his wife, Oonagh, and his two children, Dooley is destined to cross swords with his former nemesis. But any wheeling and dealing is likely to be carefully scrutinized by the new garda in town, the very rigorous Frankie Sullivan. Also airs Saturday at 3:00pm & Sunday at 11:00am.

Thursday get your mystery fix on WETA UK! Kick off at 8:00pm withSherlock Holmes: The Greek Interpreter. An nasty gang kidnaps a Greek interpreter and forces him to relate their demands to abductees who know only the Greek tongue. Also airs Saturday at 2:00pm. Then at 9:00pmAgatha Christie’s Poirot: The Cornish Mystery. Much to Poirot's disappointment, he arrives too late in Cornwall to prevent Mrs. Pengelley's death. She had asked for his help, suspecting her dentist husband to be poisoning her so that he could marry his young assistant. After conducting preliminary interviews, Poirot is sure that Mrs. Pengelley was not murdered by her husband and sets about finding the real killer. Also airs Saturday at 4:00pm.

Friday from 3:00pm – 5:00pm watch four back-to-back episodes of My Family. This is a British comedy about a family just trying to stay afloat in a crazy world. Dad, Ben is a dentist struggling to understand his wife Susan the terrible cook, daughter Janey the selfish shopping addict, youngest son Michael the brain, and eldest son Nick the lazy goof. Although loving and caring parents, Ben and Susan have a little trouble showing their children these true intentions since the kids are always up to something. This series also airs Mondays – Fridays at 7:00pm.

Sunday at 10:00pm Doctor Who season 4 episode 1. Award-winning actor Catherine Tate is the Doctor’s new companion, returning to her role as Donna Noble who featured in the 2006 Christmas special The Runaway Bride. Donna mysteriously vanished as she prepared to marry her boyfriend in a glittering ceremony on Christmas Eve. She reappeared, much to her astonishment, in the TARDIS with the Doctor. As the TARDIS raced to the church, it soon became apparent that Donna was the key to an ancient alien plan to destroy the Earth. The episode ended with the Doctor inviting Donna to travel with him – an invitation which, at the time, was declined… Now reunited, the Doctor and Donna travel back to Pompeii in AD 79 on the eve of the infamous eruption where people are slowly turning to stone, investigate a series of grisly murders with the help of Agatha Christie, journey to the home world of the sinister Ood and come face to face an old enemy of the Doctor’s.